Mutations of the CK2 phosphorylation site of Sic1 affect cell size and S-Cdk kinase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

By sequence analysis we found an amino acid stretch centred on Serine(201) matching a stringent CK2 consensus site within the C-terminal, inhibitory domain of Sic1. Here we show by direct mass spectrometry analysis that Sic1, but not a mutant protein whose CK2 phospho-acceptor site has been mutated to alanine, Sic1(S201A), is actually phosphorylated in vitro by CK2 on Serine 201. Mutation of Serine 201 alters the coordination between growth and cell cycle progression. A significant increase of average protein content and of the average protein content at the onset of DNA synthesis is observed for exponentially growing cells harbouring the Sic1(S201A) protein. A strong reduction of the same parameters is observed in cells harbouring Sic1(S201E). The deregulated coordination between cell size and cell cycle is also apparent at the level of S-Cdk activity.